A few good gems

Hello! I know some of you are still finishing up Thursday but it's Friday where I am so I'm diving in to share some gems with you as we head to the weekend. We're celebrating my daughter Maddy's birthday today from afar and I'm crossing my fingers that the parcels arrive in time for her to have some presents. Around here we've got a quiet weekend planned: a church youth event tonight and then chores and yard work and hopefully a movie tomorrow. And a nap on Sunday if we're lucky. What about you?

Return to the Lavender Field, Trisha Adams

I really loved this interview with Tina Roth Eisenberg, aka Swiss Miss. I'm inspired by how she's happily crafted the life as a creative and a mother that she wanted: "I'm so lucky that what I do is also what makes me happiest--I'll never take that for granted. People ask me all the time how I balance my work life and my personal life, and really, there's no difference. My life just is."

Fascinating graph of how different country's residents spend their money

Yes to the power of grandmothers and Virginia Woolf's famous quote that "we think back through our mothers, if we are women."

How to keep your big feelings from derailing you.  (And learning to listen and apply to ourselves what we tell our children.)

This pizza bianca looks like just the thing. I'm going to try it this next week. (Plus I love her fall tablescapes, too.) 

On embracing your inner goldilocks and reclaiming your instinct to seek what's best for you and your family/life.

This is a great universal notice board from West Elm--and on sale right now (via swissmiss)

Scared of snakes? Put a hat on it!

Terry Gross and the Art of Opening Up: on her 13,000-interview (!) career in getting people to do just that.  

Some helpful holiday hosting shortcuts. And some gorgeous ideas for fall/Thanksgiving tables:

photo via Domino, by Justina Blakeney

In case you missed the modern re-do of Isn't It Ironic with Alanis Morrissette joined by James Marsden:

Have a fantastic weekend! See you here next week. (I've missed this!)